If there is one thing more exhilarating than the combination of excitement and terror one experiences during pregnancy it is the combination that occurs once the baby has arrived. You may recall from a previous post that I was expecting my first child, and I am pleased to announce that my son was born a very healthy little boy in March.

Like many new moms, I was overwhelmed by the enormity of this experience. Luckily, the resources at OHSU helped me navigate the waters before, during and after the arrival of my son.

OHSU Hospitals & Clinics

In addition to the fabulous prenatal care provided by the clinicians at Gabriel Park Family Medicine, my husband and I took several classes from the Center for Women’s Health, including Newborn Care, Breastfeeding Basics and Infant CPR. During our stay in the hospital Mother Baby Unit, the nursing staff and lactation consultants were incredibly supportive and answered endless questions with ease.

Doernbecher Children’s Hospital

Our newborn had pretty severe jaundice, and we also spent several days at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. While there, the specialized care nurses, doctors and staff were all incredibly accommodating and helpful as we weathered an unexpected hospital stay. Our healthy, happy baby boy has been receiving excellent care at his well-baby visits. My family has been provided with the information, tools and medical advice to ensure our child has a healthy start.

New Moms Group

Perhaps the single most valuable resource to me during my first few months with baby has been the OHSU New Moms Group. Every week I meet with an incredible group of ladies, babies and facilitators. It has been an amazing experience to meet women going through the same exhausting and exhilarating experience as myself, and I am so grateful to have met so many new friends, both for myself and my son. To any and all new mom’s out there – I highly recommend checking it out!

To all of the doctors, nurses and specialists at OHSU, thank you for making the experience of pregnancy, birth and newborn life so wonderful. Being a professor here is distinctly different than being a patient and a parent, and I am so pleased to know that my OHSU experience has been excellent regardless of what hat I am wearing!

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Jackie Wirz, Ph. D., is an Assistant Professor and the Biomedical Sciences Information Specialist at the Oregon Health & Science University Library. Her research career has covered diverse topics in molecular biology and biophysics; her professional interests include data visualization, information and data management and research ethics. Jackie believes in evolution, salted caramel buttercream and Jane Eyre.